


the mess we've made

by kitnoir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, Work In Progress, homeschooled adrien agreste
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 14:52:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17226101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitnoir/pseuds/kitnoir
Summary: Ladybug knew she was treading in dangerous waters, but she couldn’t help herself.“Do you think we know each other? You know, in real life, without the masks?”Chat didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes on the fading Parisian sunset, “No, I’m pretty sure we don’t.AU in which Adrien is homeschooled his entire childhood and he and Marinette don't meet until well into their adulthood after the defeat of Hawkmoth





	the mess we've made

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is my first fic, and it was born from this AU idea I came up with posted on my tumblr (url: kitnoir.tumblr.com)
> 
> you can also find me there if you have any questions, or just wanna chat!

_Three years._

_Three years of fighting, skipping classes and tutoring sessions, rain checking family plans and making excuses. Three years of cataclysms and lucky charms and akumas and kwamis._

_Three years of being Paris’ superhero duo, and it was finally over._

_As Ladybug and Chat Noir stood with Hawkmoth between them, on his knees, shoulders slumped in defeat, neither of the heroes could process what had just happened, what Hawkmoth had just said:_

_“You win, I surrender.”_

_It had to be some kind of trick, right? Does a villain really fall like this? On his knees in front of two teenagers?_

_Yet, as the man Ladybug and Chat had come to despise kneeled before them, they both could sense the finality. As they looked at each other, not sure what to do in revelation of their victory, Ladybug broke the silence._

_“Let’s take him to Master Fu. It’s over.”_

\-  -  -

 

**Seven Years Later**

 

Adrien was running really late. As in, he was running down Main Street, and he was really, _really_ , late.

Moments like these, as he stopped to gasp for breath on a sidewalk, ignoring the stares of those around him, he really missed his old miraculous. Being able to jump from rooftop to rooftop as Chat Noir was much faster than what his civilian legs could do. Plus, when you’re moving that fast, civilians can’t even notice your hurry.

Adrien checked his watch as he tried to catch a breath.

Shit. Marinette was going to be pissed. He promised her they would meet for coffee _26 minutes ago._ But then his father insisted on him meeting with some new “very important” business partner about “the future of Paris” and Adrien had to actually sneak out the back in order to leave. Luckily, the conversation had so quickly moved to just his father and the suit-clad elderly man that he doubted they even noticed he was gone.

Adrien looked up at his surroundings. He was still two blocks away from the cafe. He took another breath and began to run again.

God he missed being Chat.

\-   -   -

Marinette checked her phone again. Adrien was well past the fashionably late period. Maybe she should call him, make sure he’s okay…

No, that would come across too- too- she didn’t know- too clingy maybe?

Marinette shook her head. No, she wasn’t going to let her stupid crush stop her from making sure her friend was okay. Crush be damned, she dialed his number. Adrien picked up on the first ring.

“Adrien? Are you-”

“Marinette I am SO SORRY. My father- and this business guy-man-” Adrien sounded like he was panting between each word, “I just barely made it out- On my way now, I’ll be there soon- THERE IT IS! I’M RIGHT OUTSIDE-”

And with that, the cafe’s doors swung open violently as a frantic Adrien barreled in. His beautiful, emerald- his eyes, just his normal, average eyes, scanned the cafe before landing on Marinette tucked in her corner by the window. Walking with purpose, he quickly found his way to the table before heavily dropping into the chair.

Marinette tried to ignore the way his hair messily hung all over his face before he pushed it back into place.

She also tried to ignore the sweat that made his white dress shirt cling to his chest, bringing definition to every inch-

“I’m so sorry, again. You know how my father is.” Adrien said, meeting Marinette’s eyes with a smile. He didn’t seem to be panting anymore.

“Don’t worry about it, I understand.” Marinette lied. Well, not entirely; she understood that it wasn’t Adrien’s fault, but she didn’t understand how controlling his father was. Then again, she acknowledged, not everyone was blessed with the amazing parents she had. “You know, you’re twenty-five now. I don’t really think your father should be determining how you spend your time anymore. Or you know, your career.”

“I know.” Adrien’s shoulders slumped again. “I mean, it was really hard on him, losing my mom and all. I guess that’s why he homeschooled me all those years. He said he didn’t want to lose me too. And I mean, he really has done a lot for me, getting me this job and all.” Then, with another smile, “Besides, if it weren’t for him getting me this job at the firm, how else would I have gotten to meet you?”

Marinette felt her heart skip, but quickly recovered.

“As much as I appreciate Mr. Agreste contracting me to tailor your law firm, I can’t help but to feel as if the way he approaches family relationships is a little…”

“Controlling?”

“Exactly.” Marinette couldn’t help but feel pity for her friend at that moment, “Don’t you ever think you missed out on some things? Like public school- my classmates really changed my life and I wouldn’t give up my junior school days for anything.”

“I mean, sure I wish I had gotten to go, but I think I turned out okay.” Marinette could tell Adrien was sugar coating. “And I still found ways to have fun- I just had to be more creative with how I spent my free time.”

“Fair enough.” Marinette smiled at that and moved towards her purse, pulling out a folder overflowing with papers, “Anyways, the real reason I invited you today was not just to bad mouth my employer; I have some new designs for you to look over, I think you’ll really like them.”

\-  -  -

_Ladybug knew she was treading in dangerous waters, but she couldn’t help herself._

_“Do you think we know each other? You know, in real life, without the masks?”_

_Chat didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes on the fading Parisian sunset, “No, I’m pretty sure we don’t.”_

_“What makes you say that? I think it’s possible.”_

_“I’m not really around many people, especially those my own age.” Chat chuckled to himself, almost wistfully, before turning to her with his infamous Cheshire-cat grin, “Besides, trust me, m’lady, if I saw you without the mask, I’d know. You’re the only one that can make this cat purr.”_

_Ladybug laughed at that, she hadn’t heard her feline companion crack a pun in days since the defeat of Hawkmoth; it was good to see him smile again, even if it was fleeting._

_“Well, even if we haven’t met in real life yet, I’m sure we’ll meet eventually, though we won’t know it. Paris is big and we have the rest of our lives- we’re bound to run into each other at some point!” Ladybug faced her partner with such an optimistic smile that it nearly blinded the cat, “Even though we won’t know- I think we’re destined to be a part of each others lives.” She stuck her hand out to Chat, “And I look forward to meeting the real you!”_

\-  -  -

As Adrien left the cafe, he couldn’t help but smile. Meeting Marinette was one of the greatest things to happen to him. She was the glowing sun that lit up his boring days at the firm. Hell, a lot of the suits he had “ripped” early on in her employment were just excuses to see her again. Growing up, he really didn’t have any friends (he didn’t like to count Chloe, she was more of coworker for the job of pleasing his father) and now he had an amazing one who he got to see practically every day. Plus, Marinette had mentioned wanting to introduce him to her other friends! Adrien could hardly contain his excitement and resisted the urge to skip back home.

But, as soon as he stepped foot into his house, his smile was wiped away as he saw his father’s face, staring down at him.

Why did he always look so disappointed?

“Adrien, I hope you had fun gallivanting with whoever you deemed more important than Mr. Asselin. Luckily, I noticed before he did that you excused yourself and told him you had to take a call at the office. He said he admired your strong work ethic.” Gabriel Agreste had the delivery of a Disney villain whenever he was angry, thinly veiled aggression had become the bane of Adrien’s childhood.

“I’m sorry.” Adrien knew whatever excuses he came up with, or if he told the truth, would just make his father angrier.

“Good. Now, if you had stayed, you would have heard the wonderful news.” Gabriel turned on his heel towards his office, and like a lost puppy, Adrien followed. “As you know, we have been carefully curating your career at the law firm for the past four years. You’ve grown quite likeable in the eye of Paris’ citizens, and especially the more…. influential sect of the city.”

Adrien blindly nodded, he had no clue where his father was going with this.

“You’ve become well respected as well. Your cases have all gone smoothly and your public image couldn’t be better.” Now sitting in his ostentatious desk chair, Gabriel looked his son in the eye, his hands coming to a clasp before him.

“Last night, Mayor Bourgeois informed me that he would be announcing his retirement this weekend. With Mr. Asselin’s assistance, you are now on the ballot for the Parisian mayoral office.”  

 


End file.
